With COVID-19 restrictions being dispensed across Germany, visitors to InterTabac and InterSupply in September will have a less complicated journey and a more relaxed time in Dortmund, report the organisers.

Since the beginning of April, organisers in North Rhine Westphalia have been able to hold trade shows, concerts and events without restrictions and open these to the public at large. Visitor limits have been eliminated along with the requirement to wear face coverings and comply with the country's '3G' (vaccinated, tested or recovered) and stricter '2G' rules. Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Messe Dortmund operator Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe commented, “We are delighted to be able to offer people the experience of attending superb big-name trade shows once more – with immediate effect – especially with a view to international highlights such as the twin shows InterTabac and InterSupply. There is no longer anything stopping people engaging face-to-face in a physical location, and that's something the entire industry is looking forward to.”
Especially for international visitors to the world's largest trade show for tobacco products and smoking accessories – taking place in Dortmund from 15 to 17 September – the end of COVID-19 restrictions means a less complicated journey and a more relaxed time in Dortmund. Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe will maintain some key basic hygiene measures, according to a press release. There will be disinfectant dispensers throughout the event area and state-of-the-art ventilation systems will be running in the exhibition halls. Sabine Loos continued: “We are appealing to exhibitors and trade visitors to apply their sense of responsibility to others, and to continue to observe social distancing. Beyond that, though, no restrictions are planned.”
Travelling to Dortmund will also be less complicated for visitors now that the German government has significantly eased entry regulations to Germany. No country in the world is now classed as a COVID risk area, and quarantine and registration obligations have been dropped almost entirely. Travellers from within the EU need only produce evidence of being fully vaccinated, a negative rapid lateral flow test result (max. 48 hours old) or evidence of recovery from a COVID infection (where such infection occurred during the last 90 days). When it comes to vaccines, Germany accepts all vaccines licensed in the EU: Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech and Novavax. A person is considered to be fully vaccinated if he or she has received at least two vaccination doses with at least 14 days having passed since the final dose. Trade show exhibitors and participants may also enter Germany from countries outside the EU. There are no restrictions for vaccinated travellers. Unvaccinated travellers must provide evidence of their participation in the show in order for the journey to be considered a strictly necessary business trip. Business visas from countries with visa requirements are still necessary.

The latest information, exhibition highlights and news items are available on the trade show websites https://www.intertabac.de/en/start/and https://www.intersupply.de/en/home/